Sarmandal Clan and Kantach Tribe

Khan Tabitha had been promised by her uncle when her father died to the Heir of the Kantach Tribe, Prince Gervatix III. Although promised to him at the age of fifteen, when she reached maturity. Although the Sarmandal Clan's tradition of her having to take the life of two of her enemies had prevented her from wedding she was urged by her uncle to go meet the Prince Gervatix III to ensure he understood the Sarmandal Clan's traditions and that she wasn't insulting him. Unlike other females of her clan who got to wed whom they wished after their two kills, because she was the Khan, and her only living male relative, that was older then her, was her Uncle Girghe, he choose her husband for her.

Riding in the company of two hundred warriors, a hundred from the Cursed Ashitaka and the Sarmandal Knights each, she had headed towards Kando to meet, for the first time, Prince Gervatix III. Among her two hundred warriors that traveled with her for her protection, were Teresa and Clare* assigned by the Warlord Shen to protect her from any danger along with unwanted advances.

Arriving at Kando the majority of her warriors remained camped outside, and only a handful joined her to go meet the prince. The two grey eyed, blond/white haired protectors were of course among those number. Even though the dirt of the road was still layered upon her, anyone could tell she was beautiful beyond measure. A slight women with short dark brown hair, that was swept to the right across her forehead. Her eyes were black and gentle. Being so small, it was hard to tell that she had her right breast cauterized when a child and didn't look as different as some other women in her clan but seemed more normal.

Spoiler:

Greeting the Prince, "Prince Gervatix the Third, I am Khan Tabitha Yuki, promised as your wife since fifteen. Seeing as the Sarmandal Clan soon wishes to expand our clan my uncle urged me to let you be informed that I'll soon have my second kill and we can be wed." She stated the last with a great lack of enthusiasm. Attempting to change the subject she continued, "My uncle believed it wise that we should be acquainted with one another before that time came." Practically the two barbarian nations were allies already, but until the actual wedding day took place such a promising alliance wasn't cemented in stone just yet.


*Teresa and Clare - More about them in my first D2D post which is only half complete. Explains the reason of their features.

KANDO, MID FALL

While his father campaigned in Surud and Kuverax threw the might of the Kantach against the Ezrian border, Gervatix III sulked in the capital. They had shared a small border along the Nihr river but the Sarmandal people had always been regarded as strange at best. Less passive than the Surud, their strange customs had always kept a cultural barrier between the Kantach and the Sarmandal, and his grandfather Gervatix I had allegedly desired slaughtering them, but had been assassinated before any such campaign could be mustered. Unlike the Frohn to the north, who kept to themselves, the Sarmandal had always had a hand in regional politics and and it was no surprise when his father and the Khan of the Sarmandal joined their political hands together and decided the fate of Gervatix II long before he had reached maturity. Ordered to stay at home for fear of the death of his heir, Gervatix II rode south and crossed the mighty Nihr but gave a parting gift.

" Your betrothed will pay you a visit, " He murmured, stepping up to his steed with feinted haste. " I," He paused, straightening his fur vest " may not return. If I don't .. the Kantach will look to you, to her, for guidance. "

" I understand, father. I will not let you down. "

Two days later two hundred Sarmandal arrived from across the Nihr with Tabitha Yuki in tow. He grazed mindfully at his goatee before stepping from the hut to greet the column of warriors.

He gave Tabitha Yuki a light embrace and held his arms out in a welcoming manner. " Welcome, may your horses and souls rest. We'll have a feast for your coming! I hope the ride was uneventful. How fares the people of the Sarmand? "

(OOC: Wasn’t the Khan who arranged the marriage with Gervatix II, but Uncle of the Khan when she was 15 years old, Girghe Yuki who arranged such a beneficial marriage between the two nations.)

Receiving the Prince’s embrace with her own, “My people are well Prince Gervatix, what of the Kantach peoples? We hear rumors of war to the south but have no reliable source to confirm such tales, perhaps you could provide some truthfulness to what happens south of the Nihr?” Tabitha inquired wondering if the tales of woe and war that had reached her ears were true or not.

“You do the Sarmandal Clan great honor with a feast this night. Our stay will be short, a week, no more for we must head north after such a short time. Hopefully in this time we can come to know each other and plan our wedding.” She stated revealing no joy at the upcoming joyful occasion, “My clan is marching against Frohn. I believe the Clan’s struggle against them will be brief. The battles with them will allow many of our females to take their required kills, myself among them.”

Shivering slightly from the chilly fall air she followed the Prince, who was kind enough to lead her, into his hut. She was followed closely by Teresa and Clare, “As tradition commands when the Khan of our clan marries another great tribe simple gifts are not appropriate to celebrate such a…” pausing she searched for the word, “joyous occasion. As such the elders of the clan and myself believed that roughly half of Frohn will become your own.” Handing him a rough map showing new drawn boarders the Kantach Tribe would gain Frohn land directly west of their most northern point along the Nihr. Everything south of that new drawn line would be theirs while everything north of the line, including the settlement of Frohn, would become the Sarmandal Clan’s territory.

“The Frohn Tribe has smaller settlements throughout the area you’ll be given as the Sarmandal Clans wedding gift to you. Although not as populous as the northern portion it should increase your own tribe’s strength.” Tabitha informed warming her hands.